Stepping into the hall, I knew that there was a changing of guards, which left us a two-minute timeslot between levels. I ran, praying she would be able to keep up. We passed through the double doors of the dorm hallway and into the training center. Overall, Angel did far better than I had hoped for.
When I broke into the facility, I was afraid of what kind of condition I would find her in. Would she be able to walk? Would she be lucent or doped up on pills? As we booked it down the corridors, I checked on her frequently just to make sure I wasn’t pushing her too hard, too fast. Her stamina surprised me, especially since she looked like death.
Staggering, she fell face-flat on the floor, but she picked herself right up (maybe with a little help from me), brushed off the pain I knew her body was feeling, and carried on.
Angel was a freaking trooper.
I wrapped an arm around her waist, taking some of her weight, and ran as fast as I could, knowing each second counted. The guards were finishing the change-over and would be back to mindlessly pacing the halls.
“Thanks,” she said, sounding winded.
“You can thank me after I get us out of here.” I kept my eye on her. We were relying on each other, and that was a scary thought for me. “You okay?” I asked.
She nodded, sensing the urgency.
I was glad she didn’t bombard me with questions and allowed me to focus on keeping us alive. I punched in a key code on the final door and kicked it open. It might have been dramatic, but I had my hands full.
More or less stumbling outside, we both blinked rapidly, blinded by the sun. Angel lifted her head to the sky and took in a long drawn-out breath of fresh air. I knew how she felt, but there wasn’t time to savor the moment, not yet.
“Hurry,” I badgered. “We need to bust ass. We aren’t home free yet princess.”
Rounding the corner, Angel winced behind me. The final stretch stood out in front of us as my blue SUV came into view.
She gave a short laugh.
Glancing sideways at her, I gave her a weird look. “I don’t know what you find so hilarious, but I swear if you are losing your mind now, I’ll smack you.”
She chewed on her bottom lip but remained silent.
Good girl.
Swinging the passenger door open, I shoved her scrawny butt into the car and hustled around to the driver’s seat. “Buckle up. We’re in for a bumpy ride,” I warned, roaring the engine to life.
I shifted the car into gear, not wasting another precious nanosecond, and hit the gas. Swinging my head around, I made sure that we weren’t being followed and headed for the exit gate. This place could be a maze, but lucky for us, I’d spent a year here, mapping out the facility in my head.
Angel groaned in her seat, and I looked over at her suspiciously. “Get your head out of the clouds. We still need to make it through the gate before we do a victory dance,” I barked, needing her to stay with me. There weren’t going to be any mental breakdowns on my watch.
Angel latched onto her seat. “Do you have a plan for that?” she asked, shifting restlessly.
Of course I had a plan, but I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to like it. “Yeah,” I said, punching the gas. “You’re wearing your seatbelt, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
I kept my eyes dead centered on the gate. “Good, because it is about to get...rough.”
Please, God, don’t let this be a disaster. I mean, it always works in the movies.
Angel was stiff, bracing herself for what was surely going to be a brain-rattling impact. You don’t hit an iron-reinforced fence head-on and not expect to have the bleep scared out of you.
I watched as the speedometer hit deadly speeds, but I never let up, even when my insides shook. This was going to work. It had to work. Right before my frontend smacked into the gate I closed my eyes, clenched my jaw, and swore.
It was worse than being locked in a room with a dozen bloodthirsty hellhounds.
It sucked.
My head snapped forward and then back again. Metal crunched against iron, screeching like a dying woman. Man I loved this truck. I never let up on the gas, keeping it pinned to the floor, even after we made it through the security entrance. The need to put miles between me and the facility was gnawing inside me. I wouldn’t feel safe until I got Angel back to Chase. Then I would be able to breath again.
It was only a matter of time before my father was informed of my recent escapade and how I’d helped the enemy escape. I would then be put on the list of traders that needed to be extinguished. I didn’t delude myself into thinking that just because I was his daughter, I would receive a free pass or any special treatment.
Oh hell to the no.
Just the opposite.
I was sure the sergeant would personally see to my punishment.
Joy.
I steered the car toward Spring Valley, always keeping a watchful eye on our tail. Angel had been quiet as I hopped onto the interstate and I let her be, but of course I should have known that she just wouldn’t leave it alone—my rescue that is.